A book of hours following the liturgical custom of Rome, with a
calendar in French. The miniatures are framed by borders decorated
with plants that were executed with great botanical precision. This
examplar from the late period of the French Book of hours,
preserved in its entirety, was illuminated by an important master
from this late phase of French book illumination. He was influenced
by the Master of Claude de France und was recently identified as
the Master of the Lallemant-Boethius. In the small pictures on the
borders, he tries to compete with Jean Bourdichon, who introduced
realistic flower borders in the marginal decoration of Anne of
Brittany’s Grandes Heures and in other major works. The Master of
the Lallemant-Boethius is also guided by Flemish book illumination
of his time. On f. 1r one can read the name of Agnès le Dieu, the
owner of the codex in the year 1605.
